Decoy



Oct. 26 1926.

C. E.- STON ER DEGOY Filed Feb, 19, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet'l 1 Oct. 26 1926.

' c.' E. sToNER r DECOY 3 sheets-sheet s Filed Feb. 19A 1925 www M4@ Patented Uct. 2G, 1926.

maine STATES CARLTON' ELMER STONER, 0F LONG BEACH, CLIFORNA.

Decoy.

Application led February 1 9, 1925. Serial No. 10,189.

My invention relates to iniiated decoys.

While the specific embodiment which l have elected to illustrate my invention is a decoy duck, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to ducks, but may be employed in connection with any other inliated decoy, or the like.

inflated decoys, as is known to those skilled in the art, comprise essentially a casing or skin usually made of canvas and a rubber bladder or air bag which is so shaped as to ll the casing when iniiated to a suitable degree. The air bag is usually inserted into the casing through an opening in the bottoni of the body portion of the cas* ing, which is thereafter laced or otherwise closed.

The chief difliculty encountered in making up a decoy ot this character is to cause the bladder or air bag properly to 'fill the head or' the shell or casing. `This is particularly true with regard to the bill portion which, because of its relatively small and non-circular cross section, presents considerable -f diiiiculty, iirst to the initial introduction of the corresponding parts ot the air bag into the. casing and neXt,vto maintaining the same in position after inflation and deflation so as to preserve the proper contour of this part of the decoy. The bill is a highly characteristic part ot' the decoy and it is de-Y sirable that the decoy have the proper contour and proportionto cause the same to be as realistic as possible.

l am aware that it is old in the art to pull the air bag into the bill part of the casing by means of a cord, but T. find that this structure will not permit the bill to be filled completely, nor to the proper shape, nor will it when ini-lated give an accurate simulation of the shape of the bill. The cord is usually attached to the 'end of the air bag by means ot a loop of rubber and this prevents the bag from `coming quite to the end of the bill part of the casing. Furthermore, the iniiation of the bag tends to exert equal pressure in all directions with the result that the bill tends to becircular in cross section and conical in lgenera-l contour with a tlabby, shapeless end, where the air bag does notv enter.

Now, according to the present invention I provide a plug in the inside of thatpart of the bag which forms or fills the bill ot the casing. This plug is suihciently rigid to permit the end ofthe bag towhich it is atcasing and to fill the same completely. It

is preferably, although not necessarily,-

iformed of solid rubber and cemented at the front end ot the inside ot the end of the bag which fills the bill ot the casing. It is also preferably so formed at its iront end as to give the desired flat shape to that part oi. the casing which forms the bill.

ln addition, it may be so formed as to be pressed past the narrow or constricted part of the casing so that the bill part of the bag will remain in thevbill part of the casing.

In addition to the above chietimprovement, I have provided other and incidental improvements which will be apparent from the following specification and claims.

Nowin order to acquaint those skilled in* the art with the manner of constructing and operating a device embodying my invention, I shall describe in connection with the accompanying drawings, a speciiic embodiment of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a decoy ,embodying my invention; Fig.1A is a sectional -view on plane X- Fg. 2.

ldig. 2 is a rear elevational View of the thereof;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional viewthrough the bill portion ofA the casing taken on the line w of Figs. land 3; Y

Fig. 6 is a similar cross sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 3;

Figs. 7 and 8 are side and top plan views, respectively, of a rubber nose or iiller tor insertion in the middle portion of the air bag, shown in Fig. 4;

Figs. 9 and 10 are sections, respectively, on the lines 9 and 10 of Fig. 8, showing the contour of the bill;

Figs. 11 and 12 are like views showing a modiiication for making room for the seam in the casing; i

Fig. 13 is a sectional view through the front end of the air bag with therubbcr bill cemented in place;

Fig. 14 is a horizontal section through the structure shown in Fig. 13;

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Fig. 15 is a modified form of bill and air bag embodying my invention; p

Fig. 1G is a fragmentary sectional view through the valve for inflating the air bag; and

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary vertical section through a modification showing the bill of a goose decoy having' a constriction in a vertical direction. i

in Fig. 1, l have showna side elevational vView of thc complete decoy which comprises the outer lcanvas casing 1. This casing may be made of any suitable material, preferably a canvas cloth formed in two parts or halves, the seam 2 between the same lying in a vert-ical plane, as indicated in Fig. 2. The canvas casing is adapted kto be distended by a suitable rubber air bladder or air bag 3 which has at the rear end a valve portion 4 extending outV below the tail portion 5 of the casing for inflating the bag. The air bag or bladder 3 is preferably .made up of two thin sheets of rubber cemented together at their edges by a lap seam, as indicated in Fig. 4, and this air bag has a head portion 6 which is adapted to fill the head 7 of the casing of the decoy. The head portion 6 has, at its front end, the bill or nose portion 8 for filling the corresponding bill or nose portion 8 of the casing.

Now it is highly desirable that the decoy be made to lool; as life-like and as true to form as is possible. rlhe difculty with filling the nose or bill portion of the decoy lies in the fact that the front end 8 of the air bag tends to inflate the same to a circular or generally round cross section, whereas the actual ducks bill is of irregular cross section and it should be somewhat of the'shape shown in Figs. 5 and l6 at the sections indicated on the corresponding lines of Figs. 1 and 3.V That is'to say, Ain Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown sections through the casing, the section shown in Fig. 5 being relatively high and narrow as compared with the section shown in Fig. 6 which is beyond the section of Fig. 5. Now the mere introduction of the projecting portion S of the air bladder 3 into the casing would not secure the final shape of the bill of the decoy according to the forms shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Furthermore, the seams 2 have a certain amount of selvage, as indicated at 10 in the gures, which in the small cross section afforded in the bill portion of the decoy comprises a noticeable part of the same and affords a real obstacle to securing a nicely shaped bill. In addition, it is desirable in the canvas casing to show a ridge or seam, as indicated at 11, on each side of the bill portion so as to simulate the lower edges of the bill of the bird which the decoy represents.

Now it will be observed, particularly by observation of Fig. 3 and Figs. 5 and 6,

that the intermediate portion of the bill 3;, indicated at 12, is relatively restricted in width as compared with the terminal or outer end portion 13 for the definite purpose of assisting in holding the projecting `portion 8 of the bladder in the bill portion that the outer spatulate end of the stud meut ber 14 is wider than the intermediate portion so as to fit the projecting portion 8 of the bladder accurately to t-he'casing and to fit the casing. i

The stud member 14 is inserted inside of the air bag 3 in the position shown in Figs. 13 and 14, that is, with the front end of the plug or stud 14 in contact with the front end of the projecting portion 8 and cemented thereto, as indicated at 15.

Now it will be observed that when the air bladder 3 is inserted into the casing 1 through the laced filling opening 16 formed in the bottom part of the casing, Athe stud 14 may be employed to work the head 6 and projecting portion S of the air bag 3 into .the corresponding part of the casing and to push the front end of the air bag comvpletely into the front end of the bill portion 9 of the casing.

If desired, the plug member 14 may have a groove 17 at the top and a like groove 18 at the bottom to allow for the selvage of the seam 10 in the bill portion of the duck so -that the seam will not be pressed outwardly and form a-ridge, as might be the case if no allowance were made on the stud 14.

The stud 14 does not need to .fit the complete interior of the bag 3, but prefer that this stud 14 fit the front end of the bill with suflicient acqiracy that after the relatively wide spatulate portion at the front, shown in section in F ig. 10, is pushed past the restricted portion, shown in Fig. 9,

there will be a tendency to hold the parts in place due to the friction between the air bag and the canvas casing. The stud 14 need not be of solid rubber; it may be made of sponge rubber, or it may be made hollow,

so long as it is sufficiently rigid to permit the nose'or bill portion of the air bag to be worked intoand pressed toy the end of the bill portion of the casing.

In Fig. ,15 I have shown a modification in which the head portion 6 of the rubber bag 3 does not extend outward in the shape of the projecting portion 8, shown in Fig, 4, butends'at the point indicated at 2O in Fig. 15, the hollow stud portion 21 being shaped so as to receive the end of the bag and to be cemented thereto, this portion of the stud 2l, which extends beyond the point 20, being` accurately shaped tothe desired configuration above described and to lit nicely in the bill portion 9 of the canvas casing. I have shown the stud 2l as being hollow and composed of soft tough rubber with sufficient rigidity to permit the same to be pressed by means ot the thumb and forelinger into the front end ot the casing, as previously described.

rlhe valve el comprises a sleeve of sott tough rubber 22 which-is cemented at the rear end of the air bag 3 and a sleeve orn denser and less elastic rubber, as indicated at 23, is cemented inside of the same to form a valve seat for the valve plug or cork 24, which is preferably formed of relatively stilJ rubber'. 'Io secure the valve24 to the body of the decoy so that the same may not be lost, I provide a connection 25 which preferably is a stout fiaxen thread inserted as by means of a needle through the body of the plug or valve 24, the thread being preferably dipped in rubber cement before it is thus inserted in the plug 24 and a knot heilig tied at the inner end' of the same, so that the valve plug 24 may be pulled. out by means of the string or thread 25. The opposite end of the thread is 4secured to the tail o1 the decoy. j

In Fig. 17 I have shown a modification namely, the bill of a Canada goose. In this structure, the casing 35 has a constricted portion Avertically at 36. The air bag 37 lits into the casing 3G and within the air bag, I Vprovide the plug 38 which is shown as hollow and cemented to the front end of the air bag so as to fill out and form the front end of the bill.

It will be understood that the constriction may be made at any point desired so long as it provides proper configuration of the bill or' the decoy. Obviously, instead of ducks and geese, the decoy ymay simulate any desired bird or animal.

I contemplate in addition to the stud, which I have above described as a means for inserting the inflating bag properly into the casing, the provision of means for tying the air bag to the casing` as by means of a loop 26 which is secured to the air bag, as by means of the patches or reenforcements 27, 28, which are connected by the integral loop portion 26. A string is preferably secured on the inside of the casing at the point indicated at 30 on Fig. 1, and this string is passed through the loop 26 and internally tied thereto so that after the bladder or air bag is once in place itwill tend to remain there. IVhile this loop 26 is shown as being disposed at throat portion ot' the bag` for attachment at the throat of the casing, the loop may. be attached at any other suitable point about the head or neck of the air bag and fastened, as by tying, to the corresponding part of the casing. j

In order to steady and properly ballast the decoy I provide a pair or loops 3l which aresewed to the casing l at the bottom, each approximately two inches away :fromy the laced opening 16, and I join a weight or plummet 32 to these lugs, either' by means of a V-shaped string connection, shown in F ig. 2, or by means of two separate strands of cord 33 running` to the weight or plummet 32. I lind that the attachment of the. weight or plummet at the sides, as I have indicated in Figs. l and 2, acts very much like a rudder in steadying the decoy against rolling motion. Obviously, the cords 33 may be attached to eyes or otherwise secured to the sides of the casing, although I find the loops 3l are simple and effective means for performing that function.

I do not intend to be limited to the details shown or described.

I claim:

l. In a decoy, a casing having a body with a'bill portion, an air retaining bag in said casing havingV a co-operating bill portion for lling the bill ortion of the casing and a relatively stitl plug member for thrusting the bill portion of the air bag into the bill portion of the casing.

2. In a decoy, a casing having an elongated projection of relatively small diameter, an air retaining bladder for the casing, said bladder having a co-operating projection com rising a relatively stiff plug secured to the ladder adapted to be pushed endwise into the projection of the casing.

3. In a decoy, a casing having an elon-l gated projection of relatively small diameter and irregular cross section, and an air retaining bladded adapted to fill the casing, said bladder having a projecting portion for lling the projection ot the casing, and means carried by said bladder for thrusting the projecting portion of the bladder into the projection of the casing.

d. In a decoy,ra casing having an elongated projection of relatively small diameter and irregular cross section, the diameter oi the projection being greater at the front closed end than at an intermediate portion, and an air retaining bladder having a projecting portion for filling the projection of the casing, said projecting portion having an internal stiiening plug.

5. In a decoy, a casing having an elongated projection of relatively small diameter and irregular cross section, the diameter of the projection being greater at the front closed end than at an intermediate portion, and an air retaining bladder having a projecting portion for lling the projection ot the casing, said projecting portion having a reeni'orcement to render it suiiiciently rigid to thrust the projecting portionof the air bag into thev projection of the casing, and to provide a relatively enlarged front end which will be held by iction beyond said restricted portion.

ln a decoy, a casing having an elongated projection of relatively small diameter-,an air retaining bladder ,having a projecting portion r'or filling' the projection of the casing', said projecting portion having sufficient rigidity to permit thrusting the saine into the projection of the casing by ,pressure applied endvvise.

ln a decoy, a casing having an elongated projection of relatively small diameter and irregular cross section, an air retaining bladder having a projecting portion for lill,- ing the projection off the casing, and a rubber stud or approximately the desired shape of the decoy projection lying inside the projecting portion of the air bag.

8. ln combination, a decoy casing having an elongated projection at the front end thereof, an air retaining bag having a projection portion, and a rubber stud secured to the front end of the air bag for filling the projection of the casing, said stud being of sucient rigidity to permit the saine to be thrust endivise into said projection of the casing.

9. ln a decoy, a jacket of canvas simulating' in color and contour a Water bird, said jacket having a Vbill portion closed at the front end, an inrlatable air retaining` bag for distending said jacket, said air bag comprising thin sheet rubber and having a co-o-perating bill portion for entering the closed bill portion of the jacket to distend the bill of the jacket mechanically to the desiredl Contour, said bill portion of the air bag comprising av plug or material rigid enough to retain its desired shape, and permitting it to be thrust endivise into the bill portion of the jacket.

lnv Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of February, 1925.

CARLTON ELMER. STONER. 

